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Russian, Kyrgyz presidents monitor active phase of Tsentr 2019 exercise at Donguz

The aim is to practice measures to repel an offensive and inflict losses on a hypothetical enemy
A Mi-24P helicopter Gavriil Grigorov/TASS
A Mi-24P helicopter
© Gavriil Grigorov/TASS

DONGUZ PROVING GROUND /Orenburg Region/, September 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Kyrgyz counterpart Sooronbay Jeenbekov are monitoring the active phase of the strategic command-and-staff exercise Tsentr (Center) 2019 in the Orenburg Region.

Also present at the command center of the Donguz proving ground are Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, his deputy Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, Chief of Russia’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Commander of the Central Military District Alexander Lapin, Chief of the Russian Armed Forces’ Combat Training Directorate Ivan Buvaltsev and leaders of delegations, including Shanghai Cooperation Organization defense ministers.

Russian troops and contingents from China, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are practicing measures to repel an offensive and inflict losses on a hypothetical enemy. Participating in the exercise from Russia are missile and artillery forces, air defense, aerospace forces, ground and airborne troops, commandos, engineering and railway troops, radiation, biological and chemical protection units, radio-electronic warfare and supply units and operators of unmanned aerial vehicles. The main phase of the Tsentr 2019 exercise involves more than 2,000 foreign servicemen representing mechanized infantry, armor, artillery and airborne and ground forces. Twenty eight planes and helicopters from China will be used.

Under the scenario of the exercise during the initial phase mechanized infantry will repel an offensive by luring the hypothetical enemy’s forces into a "fire trap." Next, two Iskander missiles will hit the enemy’s forward command posts, artillery positions and follow-up echelons. Air defense systems Pantsir-S and portable air defense rockets Igla will resist attacks by cruise missiles and attack drones. Enemy penetrations will be sealed off by Tajik and Uzbek forces.

During the next phase a landing force will seize a stronghold from where an offensive against the enemy defenses will proceed. Finally, logistic and supply units will deliver ammunition and evacuate the injured and the damaged vehicles from the battlefield.

The tasks to be accomplished during the exercise are based on the experience of combat operations in Syria and means and methods of cooperation by units updated in the process of combat training and adjusted to changes in the tactics of foreign forces.

Tsentr 2019

Participating in the Tsentr 2019 exercise will be about 128,000 troops, 20,000 pieces of military equipment, 600 aircraft and 15 naval and supply ships. The main events are being held at proving grounds in the Astrakhan, Kemerovo, Kurgan, Orenburg and Chelyabinsk regions, Dagestan, the Altai Region and the Caspian Sea on September 16-21. Contingents from India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are taking part.